Practice putting guide



June 22, 1965 J. F. KANE PRACTICE PUTTING GUIDE Filed July 2-, 1963 FIGZ FIGI

FIGZ) INVENTOR.

JOHNEKANE QM M United States Patent 3,190,658 PRACTICE PUTTING GUIDE .lohn F. Kane, 28 Rohinhood Road, Natick, Mass. Filed July 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,344 3 @laims. (Cl. 273192) This invention relates to golf equipment and more particularly to a practice putting guide for use in aiding a golfer to improve his putting stroke.

When putting a golf ball, a golfer must concentrate on four elements: (a) proper alignment with the cup; (b) proper estimate of break on a sloping green; (c) a straight backward and forward stroke; (d) and a proper amount of force when hitting the ball. Each of these elements is important and all must be performed correctly if the golfer is to succeed in developing a good putting technique. When practicing however, it is often difficult if not impossible to concentrate on any one element. Consequently, when the ball fails to drop into the hole, the golfer is at a loss to determine which of the four elements was improperly executed. The applicant has greatly simplified this problem by developing a means of accurately guiding the motion of the putter throughout the stroke. In this manner, the golfer will always be assured of a properly executed stroke, thereby allowing him to concentrate on the remaining three elements. In addition, by continuously guiding the movement of the putter during practice, the golfer is aided in the development of a proper stroke.

Although several putting aids have been developed in the past, they suffer from disadvantages which make their use extremely impractical. For example, because of their construction many putting aids must be anchored to the green surface, resulting both in damage to the green and considerable inconvenience when re-alignment is necessary. Other putting aids restrict the golfers style by severely limiting the permissible travel of the putter. In contrast, the applicants device is held above the green surface between the golfers knees. In this manner, the golfer is free to quickly shift his body alignment without the inconvenience involved of first removing the putting guide from the green surface, re-aligning its position, and thereafter remounting the guide on the green surface. In addition, the applicants device is effective in properly guiding the putter motion without inhibiting the golfers style.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a practice putting guide capable of being securely held between the golfers knees Without any resulting damage to the green surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the golfer with a practice putting guide that can be easily and quickly re-aligned with the cup during successive strokes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a means of guiding the movement of the putter throughout the stroke without unduly restricting the golfers putting style.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a View of the applicants putting guide being utilized by a golfer in practicing a putting stroke;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the knee board;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the knee board showing the relative motion of the putter and guide clamp at various stages throughout the stroke;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the cam locking mechanism used to hold the leg engaging member in an outwardly disposed operative position.

Referring now to the drawings, a guide member hereinafter referred to as a knee board and generally indi- Patented June 22, 1%65 cated at 10 is shown comprising a rectangular plate member 12 having an outwardly disposed flat guide surface. Although shown in rectangular form, it should be understood that plate member 12 can take any shape desired.

Plate member 12 is further provided on its rear face with a U-sha-ped bracket 14 to which two leg engaging members 16 and 18 are pivotally attached by means of pivot pins 20. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the leg engaging members can be pivoted about pins 26 from remotely stored positions flush against the rear face of plate member 12 as indicated at Ma and 13a to rearwardly disposed operative positions. Referring particularly to FIG. 4, it can be seen that a cam surface 22 on each leg engaging member cooperates with the rear face of plate member 12 in arresting the pivotal motion of the leg engaging members in order to enable them to effectively withstand pressure by the golfers knees when pivoted to the operative position.

The pivotal feature will of course facilitate storage of the knee board in a golf bag or other storage space when not needed.

It should also be noted at this time that bracket 14 is not positioned centrally with respect to rectangular plate member 12, but instead is positioned slightly to the left as shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, a greater area is available at the golfers right for guiding the putter as Will hereinafter be explained.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, when used by a golfer, the knee board 10 is simply held between the golfers legs in the vicinity of the knees. Because members 16 and 13 are held in spaced relationship by the cooperative action of cam surfaces 22 and the rear face of the knee board, the golfers knees are prevented from coming together, thereby enabling him to assume a more normal stance while putting. Furthermore, the alignment of both the outwardly disposed flat guide surface of knee board 10 and the golfers body can be shifted by the golfer by simply moving his feet. In this manner, if the first putt is not successful, the golfer can quickly shift his body position before putting the next ball without losing his grip on either the putter or the knee board.

A further advantage readily apparent from an examination of FIG. 1 is to be found in the ability of the golfer to utilize knee board in without any resulting damage to the green surface.

The guide clamp generally indicated at 24 will now be described with particular reference to FIG. 3. As herein illustrated and described, guide clamp 24 is comprised of an intermediate body section 26 having fixed jaws 28 and 30 at one end which cooperate to provide a putter shaft receiving aperture 31. An adjustable screw 32 having a knurled head 34 is threaded through jaw 30 and when tightened, acts to clamp the shaft 36 of a putter against the inner cornered surface of jaw 28. In this manner, guide clamp 24 can be quickly positioned on a putter shaft at any desired point along its axis.

The other extremity of intermediate body section 26 is provided with a rotatably mounted roller or wheel 38. Although wheel 38 is not a strict requisite, its use will facilitate relative motion of guide clamp 24 with respect to the flat guide surface of knee board 10 by diminishing frictional resistance therebetween.

It should also be noted at this time that other commonly used means for diminishing friction can be substituted for wheel 38 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a ball and socket or dual wheels rotating on a common axis could also be mounted on the end of intermediate body section 26.

Having thus described the components of the applicants putting guide, its use in practice putting will now be discussed. Guide clamp 24 is first attached to the putter shaft as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. This is accomplished by placing the shaft within shaft receiving aperture 31 and thereafter tightening screw 32. It should be noted, however, that because of the enlarged size of shaft receiving aperture 31 when screw 32 is completely backed off, guide clamp 24 can be utilized with shafts of varying diameters and can be mounted at any desired point on a particular shaft.

With the guide clamp24 securely mounted on the putter shaft, the golfer then places the knee board between his knees, adjusting its position to accommodate his stance. He then approaches the ball 46 and aligns his body with the cup, using as a guide the outwardly disposed flat guide surface of knee board 10. The putter head is then placed behind the ball, with the guide clamp 24 extending outwardly from putter shaft 36 and with roller 38 in contact with the outwardly disposed flat guide surface of knee board 10.

The stroke is then executed, care being taken to maintain constant rolling engagement between guide clamp 26 and knee board 10. In this manner, the path of the putter is kept within a single plane during both its forward and backward movements as illustrated at 24a, 24 and 24b in FIG. 3. If the putt is not successful, the golfer can then adjust his stance and body alignment by repeating the above-described procedure.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the invention herein chosen for purposes of disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A putting guide for use in improving a golfers stroke during practice putting comprising the combination of: a guide member having an outwardly facing fiat guide surface, said guide member having attached thereto leg engaging members suitably spaced and contoured to be held comfortably between a golfers knees; a guide clamp separate from and freely movable relative to said guide member, means for removably mounting said guide clamp in a radially extending fashion on the shaft of a putter with one end of said clamp disposed laterally from the longitudinal axis of said shaft, whereby said guide member may be held between a golfers knees with said outwardly disposed flat surface aligned with the cup and, the putter having said guide clamp attached thereto swung by said golfer in a controlled swing by maintaining the laterally disposed end of said guide clamp in constant contact with the flat guide surface of said guide member.

2. A putting guide for guiding the shaft of a putter through a controlled practice stroke comprising the combination of: a guide member having an outwardly facing flat rectangular guide surface, positioning means on said guide member for permitting its retention by a golfer between his knees when practice putting, said positioning means comprising two spaced knee-engaging members pivotally attached at one extremity to said guide member and curving outwardly therefrom in opposite directions in order to provide oppositely disposed contoured knee-engaging surfaces, said knee-engaging members held in spaced relationship by cam means cooperating with said guide member in order to counteract pressure applied thereto by the golfers knees; an elongated guide clamp separate from said guide member, said guide clamp having a central body portion provided at one extremity with a rotatably mounted guide surface engaging roller, the other extremity of said body portion provided with mount ing means for removably mounting said guide clamp on a putter shaft, said mounting means comprising two fixed jaws extending outwardly from one extremity of said clamp, said jaws cooperating to form therebetween an enlarged putter shaft receiving aperture, and means on one of said jaws for urging a putter shaft placed within said aperture against the other jaw in order to tightly clamp said shaft within said aperture at a selected point along its longitudinal axis, whereby said guide member may be held between a golfers knees with said outwardly disposed flat surface aligned with the cup and the putter having said guide clamp attached thereto swung in a controlled swing by maintaining said guide surface engaging roller in contact with the flat guide surface of said guide member. I

3. A putting guide for use in improving a golfers stroke during practice putting comprising the combination of: a guide member having an outwardly facing flat guide surface, said guide member having attached thereto positioning means adapted to be held firmly between a golfers knees, said positioning means comprising curved leg engaging members pivotally attached to said guide member for pivotal movement from a remote stored position substantially parallel with said fiat guide surface to a rearward operative position extending outwardly therefrom, said leg engaging members curving outwardly from said guide member in opposite directions and provided with cam means cooperating with the rear face of said guide member to maintain said rearward operative position; a guide clamp separate from said guide member; means for removably mounting said guide clamp in a radially extending fashion on the shaft of a putter with one end of said guide clamp disposed laterally from the longitudinal axis of said shaft, whereby said guide member may be held between a golfers knees with said outwardly disposed flat surface aligned with the cup and, a putter having said guide clamp attached thereto swung by the golfer in a controlled swing by maintaining the laterally disposed end of said guide clamp in constant contact with the fiat guide surface of said guide member.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,684,192 9/28 Nemeth 273-488 2,776,836 1/57 Zadina 273-192 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,125 1905 Great Britain. 175,197 2/ 22 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PUTTING GUIDE FOR USE IN IMPROVING A GOLFER''S STROKE DURING PRACTICE PUTTING COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A GUIDE MEMBER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY FACING FLAT GUIDE SURFACE, SAID GUIDE MEMBER HAVING ATTACHED THERETO LEG ENGAGING MEMBERS SUITABLY SPACED AND CONTOURED TO BE HELD COMFORTABLY BETWEEN A GOLFER''S KNEES; A GUIDE CLAMP SEPARATE FROM AND FREELY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID GUIDE MEMBER, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID GUIDE CLAMP IN A RADIALLY EXTENDING FASHION ON THE SHAFT OF A PUTTER WITH ONE END OF SAID CLAMP DISPOSED LATERALLY FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT, WHEREBY SAID GUIDE MEMBER MAY BE HELD BETWEEN A GOLFER''S KNEES WITH SAID OUTWARDLY DISPOSED FLAT SURFACE ALIGNED WITH THE CUP AND, THE PUTTER HAVING SAID GUIDE CLAMP ATTACHED THERETO SWUNG BY SAID GOLFER IN A CONTROLLED SWING BY MAINTAINING THE LATERALLY DISPOSED END OF SAID GUIDE CLAMP IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH FLAT GUIDE SURFACE OF SAID GUIDE MEMBER. 